Don't Give Up
by Shadowed Horizon
Summary: That's what Ash says to himself and his Pokemon all the time. He never will, and neither will they. Rated for death and suicide.
1. Perfect

Life couldn't be better for nineteen year old Ash Ketchum. Since the beginning of his journey nine years ago, he had competed in and done very well in innumerable tournaments. The Oak ranch back in Pallet Town was full of Pokémon that Ash sent back from all the regions he had ever been to. People from all over were beginning to recognize his name. And of course, every competition that he entered brought him one step close to becoming a Pokémon Master.

Of course, fame comes with a price. Ash was constantly being hounded by the press for interviews, conferences, photo shoots...this was the kind of life that Ash's younger self had dreamed of. Oh, he still loved being in the spotlight. But when the attention cuts into his personal life, well, even a star can get fed up. There were times that Ash was so stressed out that he would barricade himself inside his room, or run off to stay with friends.

That's not to say that Ash didn't have a personal life – he did. He kept close touch with all of his friends, especially the ones whom he had travelled with. There was only one thing Ash loved more than spending even a few hours with an old friend, and that was training with his Pokémon.

Initially, Delia Ketchum had been worried about her son. When his fourteenth birthday had come and gone and he still didn't show even the slightest interest in girls, she thought maybe there was something wrong. She needn't have worried; Ash was just a late bloomer. At nineteen, Ash had had a few girlfriends. As most of his friends had expected, he and Misty had tried dating. But the pressure from the media made them agree that staying friends would be easier. To date, no one had seen closer friends than those two. Ash was the only one that Misty let her guard down, and Misty was the only one that Ash had no problem confessing his blunders to (Brock was excepted in both cases, since he acted like the older brother to both of them).

Yes, life was great for Ash Ketchum. Unfortunately, the sad fact is that no life is perfect; Ash's is no exception.


	2. Robbed

The papers were simply exploding. Never in the world of Pokémon had there been something so scandalous (read: exciting). Within days – hours – of the first headline, the entire region knew.

"Aspiring Pokémon Master Robbed of Pokémon!"

"Pokémon Thief on the Loose!"

"I'd Choose You, But Where Are You?"

"Conspiracy to Bring Down Great Pokémon Trainer!"

The press went crazier than when Ash and Misty were dating. This, on top of his devastating loss, gave Ash no peace of mind. Actually, he'd only heard it all a year later, the moment he set foot in the Kanto region again. He hated to think about that day, just a few months after his twenty-first birthday. Most days, he would wake up and think it was a bad dream, because the reality was impossible to believe. But then he would look at the smaller pillow beside his own and remember that he was living in a never-ending nightmare.

It had happened when Ash was coming home from yet another region. He was taking a scenic detour with only Pikachu by his side. Everything was going great, until...

Ash still didn't know what had happened. All he knew was that he had been talking to Pikachu one moment, and the next he was in a bed at the Oak ranch, with Gary, Misty, Brock and Delia sitting anxiously by him. Apparently, Gary had been in the same forest and had happened across a prone figure in the road. The only recognizable feature was the red hat lying a few feet from its owner, all dirty and ripped from being trodden on. Surprisingly, Pikachu had been nowhere in sight, just like the Pokéballs that Ash had been carrying that day. At this, Ash had paled. He vaguely remembered Pikachu's cry, the unmistakeable _zap_ of a Thunder Attack, and three mocking laughs...Team Rocket! He left as soon as he could, not wanting his Pokémon to suffer more than they already were.

Even though he took with him all of his flying Pokémon, there was no way Ash would be able to find the Team Rocket base. It was too unobtrusive, unlike Team Aqua's massive underwater hideout. No, Ash would never think of looking at office buildings in big cities.


	3. Defeat

"...memorial service to be held on Saturday in Pallet Town, with the funeral the following day. The service will be public but the funeral will be for family members and close friends only."

The television was clicked off. The man behind the polished mahogany desk turned away from the blank screen and set the remote down. Hands laced together, two cruel eyes gazed down at the trembling Pokémon.

"Yes, sad, isn't it? They just found out today. His fans and friends must be devastated." A pause, followed by a dark sneer. "As I'm sure you must be, right, dear Pikachu?"

Pikachu snarled, but Giovanni only laughed. He knew that after eight years, he had finally broken its spirit. When Jessie, James and Meowth first presented Ash's Pokémon to him, he had flown into a rage, demanding to know why so much time and energy had gone into catching these common creatures. His yelling had woken up Pikachu, who had been unconscious up until then. Even disoriented, it had known right away that something was wrong, and had unleashed an Iron Tail powerful enough to destroy the bars of the cage. That display of strength alone was enough to calm him down.

Though he didn't give Jessie, James and Meowth the promotion they were hoping for, he gave them a little more respect, especially when he netted a big profit from Ash's remaining Pokémon. But he kept Pikachu for himself. Initially, Pikachu would rebel at every possible instance, succeeding in destroying entire facilities. Of course it was punished, but it persevered and proceeded to royally piss off the entire team. And of course, Giovanni was even more impressed with the small Mouse Pokémon. What spunk, what power! But for all the spirit Pikachu had, it was careful not to cross the line and receive the worst punishment of all.

And now, Pikachu knew it was defeated. Giovanni could see the change in Pikachu's attitude when it laid its ears back and bowed its head. The two guards near the door moved forward as their boss approached the Pokémon, ready at a moment's notice to take any damage for him. The vibrations of their footfalls shook Pikachu's body as the three men drew closer. Giovanni carelessly, disdainfully, tossed a Pokéball at it.

The room exploded.


	4. Don't Give Up

Giovanni would be rushed to critical care, where he would remain in coma. There was no telling if he would ever wake up, and his future looked more grim with each passing day. The guards, a little farther back, had sustained serious injuries but were beginning to show signs of recovering. Even team members passing outside the room had been hit by the powerful Thunder attack.

Pikachu had been seized the moment someone was able to force their way in through all the wreckage. Though Pikachu didn't know it, the man was lying in exactly the same position that Ash had been eight years before. And now, Pikachu was to suffer the fate it had been trying to avoid for so long. But it didn't matter anymore.

Pikachu had never given up the hope that Ash would find it. Nor did Pikachu ever stop believing in his master's dream. It had suffered through so much to one day see Ash achieve what he deserved. It knew that Ash would never give up on it, and now was the time to pay back the favour.

When Pikachu had bowed, it was partly to hide the sparks being produced by the huge adrenaline rush coursing through every vein in its body. As Giovanni had approached, it was unleashed in the most destructive attack that Pikachu had ever produced. Given Giovanni's proximity, Pikachu knew that it was unlikely for the leader to live through the Thunder. It also knew that the organization would be hurt badly - this was revenge.

But more than anything, Pikachu knew that the only way to be reunited with Ash was to face the giant electromagnet that it had steered clear of for as long as possible. The memories of that awful time kept Pikachu in check just enough to spare it that agony. Not that it mattered now. As it was carried down, it noticed just how much damage had been inflicted. Even facing sure death, Pikachu felt peaceful for the first time in eight long and tortured years.

There was no pain this time. And when Pikachu opened its eyes again, it was in the arms of the one person it had loved more than anything.

Heaven, indeed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

This was inspired by the thought of what would happen if Team Rocket had actually succeeded in catching Pikachu. A little dark, I know, but I like this last chapter. The reason each one is so short is because I didn't really feel like putting it all in one piece. In retrospect, I could have just used dividers like I do when I write these little notes, but I've had the idea in my head for so long that I just wanted to get something up. The original draft was actually a one-shot, with a bunch of little sections, but it was just getting confusing and way too long.

So this is the end result, and I'm pretty happy with it. I hope you liked it too.

-S.H.


End file.
